by Michelle Grimmer

I have been riding for 33 years, and during this time I have always taken lessons. Am I a sucky rider that just doesn't get it? Do I have difficulty retaining what I learn? Maybe I'm just not very coordinated. Actually, I think I do ok. That said, there are always new things to learn, and new ways to get from point A to point B. Just about the time that I think I've figured it out, I get on a new horse that needs a different way of doing things, or a horse I ride all the time presents me with new directions I need to go with their training. And that's just it. If all horses were the same, and if all horses stayed the same, we could just get on and go, train 'em up and move on.  

Then there are the physical challenges for us riders. After all these years, I have little bad habits that still need to be kept in check. If I go unsupervised for too long, my right hand goes funny, I start looking down, and I collapse my shoulders. Lately, I'm noticing that my core is weak (Kenny!). My weak core affects my ability to go with my little eventing horse when she gets exhuberant and springs over her jumps with more power than necessary. At the very least I need a ground person to remind me of these things when I lose the proprioception to detect them. I guess where I'm going with this is that at any stage of riding, we all have things that we are forever working on. As soon as we solve one aspect, there are new challenges to tackle, and excitement comes with success. We're all in this together! I take lessons to keep my skills up, to quench my thirst for continuous learning, and for inspiration that I can pass along to my students.

Michelle schools a student's horse.

You load your happy horse into your trailer and off you drive - to a wonderful trail ride?  A fun show? Maybe a great clinic? In real life though, horses often worry about the trailer.  A lot.  Some arrive soaked with sweat. Some bang their heads or legs in their haste to get off the trailer.  Some simply won't go in at all. But it doesn't have to be that way. Training (or re-training) a horse to trailer can be just another relaxed progression in his education.  How you approach it makes all the difference in the world. The key lies in developing trust, communication and confidence AWAY from the actual trailer. Each piece of the trailer loading equation can be broken down. I'll be sharing an exercise each month that will help your horse learn the skills and confidence he'll need when you finally do ask him to load.

Exercise #1:  Step on an object.

GOAL:  Be able to send your horse PAST you and direct him to put his feet on an object. He then needs to be comfortable standing there as you walk up to him, rub him, then go back to where you were standing while he remains on his object. Remember to do it from either side of your horse.

A large plastic bucketlid can work as a starting place, but if you have a rough piece of plywood to progress to, so much the better. Being able to load all four feet on your obstacle is ideal. From there you can move on to a tire filled with dirt, or a wooden platform or raised bridge. Remember: it's really not about making a fancy obstacle - it's about the communication. You want to ask your horse to move onto the obstacle while you remain BEHIND his driveline (the point where you would hang a necklace on him) as he moves forward to the obstacle and confidently places his feet on it.   

Don't get stuck on the lid (or whatever) itself as the goal. The eventual goal is to SEND the horse forward to the object, but it's totally okay to cheat! This is about getting your horse confident placing his feet on something while you are behind his driveline. But even within that seemingly simple task there are so many pieces that might worry the horse. He could be worried about placing his feet on something. He could be worried about walking past you and voluntarily presenting his ribcage too you. He might not understand that it's okay to stop on the obstacle without turning and facing you. These are all things you will work out as you try to figure out how to accomplish this one little exercise. 

Feel free to ask for help from someone more experienced if you get at all stuck or frustrated.  Mary's groundwork classes Friday morning are a great resource. Have fun, get creative and approach the puzzle from all directions!

Next month we'll talk about ways to prepare your horse to back off a trailer.